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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this music.

Positive Messages

Several of Madonna's songs include positive messages; for example, in "Express Yourself," she sings, "Don't go for second best, baby, put your love to the test / You've got to make him express how he feels and, baby, then you'll know your love is real."

Positive Role Models & Representations

Though her music doesn't scream sex, Madonna's image often does -- making it hard to call her a role model.

Violence

Sex

Though there's a fair amount of sexual innuendo in Madonna's music, she doesn't use graphic language to describe it. For instance, the lyric "I want to run naked in a rainstorm, make love in a train" is about as bad as it gets.

Language

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that a lot of the songs which have landed Madonna in hot water over the years -- "Like a Virgin," "Papa Don't Preach," "Like a Prayer," etc. -- are included in this collection, putting it out-of-reach for very young kids. Overall, however, these songs are less risque than much of the hardcore rap music on the market.

What's the story?

CELEBRATION is a greatest hits compilation from music legend Madonna -- one of the few artists with the star power to pull off a sixth greatest hits record containing some of the very same songs included on the first five. "Borderline," "Like a Virgin," "Like a Prayer," "Material Girl," "Vogue"; you name it, the hit is included in the long list of 35 songs that spans two CDs. Most parents only need to hear the name Madonna to know that this music isn't meant for young kids. But they should also know that the actual lyrics in these songs are fairly tame compared to today's hardcore rap tunes. For example, while the track "Like a Virgin" clearly alludes to sex, the lyrics reveal that it's ultimately a love song: "I made it through the wilderness, so now I made it through, didn't know how lost I was until I found you / I was beat, incomplete, I'd been had, I was sad and blue / But you made me feel, yeah you made me feel, shiny and new / Like a virgin, touched for the very first time."

Is it any good?

The question isn't whether these classic Madonna songs are themselves any good, but whether the compilation represents the best of Madonna. While the singer's legions of fans will all have their own opinions, the collection definitely contains plenty of Madonna's most well-known hits, including "Borderline," "Material Girl," "Like a Prayer," "Vogue," "Lucky Star," and more.

It also features some of her newer music, such as her recent hot song "4 Minutes" with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. The two entirely new songs -- "Celebration" and "Revolver" (with Lil Wayne) -- can't really compare to her classic hits, though they'll undoubtedly appease the countless Madonna lovers who can never get enough of her music.

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